Marcelle named CIS athlete of the year

TORONTO (April 29, 2013)- Shanice Marcelle, a volleyball player from the University of British Columbia, and Kyle Quinlan, a football player from McMaster University, are the BLG Award winners as Canadian Interuniversity Sport female and male athletes of the year for the 2012-13 season.

The recipients of the 21st annual BLG Awards were announced Monday night at the John Bassett Theatre, in the Toronto Metro Convention Centre. The awards show will premiere on Sportsnet on Tuesday, May 28 (see schedule below).

All eight nominees – one female and one male from each of the four CIS regional associations - received a commemorative gold ring, while Marcelle and Quinlan were also presented with a trophy and a $10,000 scholarship to attend a Canadian University graduate school.

The winners were selected by the Canadian Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit Board established for the purpose of administering the BLG Awards and protecting the integrity of the selection process.

“On behalf of BLG and the Canadian Athletic Foundation trustees, I would like to congratulate Shanice Marcelle and Kyle Quinlan, the winners of the 21sh annual BLG Awards,” said Doug Mitchell, National Co-Chair of BLG. “The eight student-athletes who were nominated are all outstanding in their sport. I congratulate all the nominees for their great accomplishments.”

“I would like to congratulate all the BLG Award winners and nominees. As athletes of the year at their respective universities, they have helped maintain Canada’s reputation as a leading sport nation,” said Minister of State (Sport) Bal Gosal. “In addition, I offer thanks, on behalf of the Government, to Borden Ladner Gervais for creating and hosting these awards in partnership with Canadian Interuniversity Sport and the Canadian Athletic Foundation to honour our top university athletes.”

“This year’s nominees are all exceptional athletes who are also leaders on their campuses and in their communities. They are great representatives of our 11,000 student-athletes and are truly the future of our country,” said Pierre Lafontaine, chief executive officer of CIS. “On behalf of CIS, I sincerely congratulate each of them, as well as their school and coaches, and in particular Shanice and Kyle, who join the very prestigious group of BLG Award recipients.”

Marcelle, who was born in Toronto but grew up in Victoria, took home the Jim Thompson Trophy, presented annually to the female BLG Award winner. She was also the Canada West nominee in 2011, when Windsor basketball player Jessica Clemençon was crowned.

The other female finalists for this season were Justine Colley of East Preston, N.S., a basketball player from Saint Mary’s University; Mélodie Daoust of Valleyfield, Que., a hockey player from McGill University; and Britt Benn of Napanee, Ont., a rugby player from the University of Guelph.